Professional Spotlight – Jackie Kittrell

Thursday, March 28th, 2019

Congratulations to our own Jackie Kittrell on being the recipient of the Grayfred Gray Public Service Mediation Award! Jackie has been instrumental in bringing Collaborative Practice to East Tennessee and we are grateful to her leadership within the ETCA.

2019 GRAYFRED GRAY PUBLIC SERVICE IN MEDIATION AWARD WINNER ANNOUNCED!

NASHVILLE, March 26, 2019. On April 5, 2019, as part of the celebration of Mediation Day proclaimed by Gov. Bill Lee, Jacqueline (Jackie) Kittrell will be honored in Nashville for her pioneering and lasting contributions to the field of mediation. A Knoxville-based mediator and attorney, Kittrell has been the Executive Director of Community Mediation Center in Knoxville since 2005 and is a Founding Member of the East Tennessee Collaborative Alliance. The Nashville Metro Council also issued a proclamation celebrating Mediation Day.

The Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators (TAPM) will bestow the thirteenth annual Grayfred Gray Public Service in Mediation Award to Kittrell at the Lipscomb University, Bennett Center – Club 1891 in Nashville. Distinguished guest and namesake of the prestigious award Grayfred Gray will be presenting the award to Kittrell.

“Mediation offers a unique opportunity to resolve disputes efficiently in terms of both time and money, which results in a greater sense of satisfaction to the parties involved,” said John Duval, President of the Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators (TAPM).

“Every year, TAPM brings education, mentoring, and collegial discussion to mediators across Tennessee. By spreading awareness, we remove barriers to mediation services so ordinary people in both rural and urban areas can find mediators to assist them. Our legal system is overburdened and sometimes unresponsive. Those in conflict can use mediation to deal with difficult situations in a safe and cost-effective way,” said Jackie Kittrell, Grayfred Gray Public Service in Mediation Award recipient.

Governor Lee proclaimed April 5, 2019 as Mediation Day in Tennessee, in recognition of the contribution of mediation and to encourage its further growth in the State. More than 1,300 mediators listed by the Tennessee Supreme Court assist the courts in resolving disputes. Additional trained mediators volunteer their time at community mediation centers across the state.

About TAPM and the Grayfred Gray Public Service Mediation Award: The Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators (TAPM) was formed in 2006 to maximize the resources and expertise of various groups who provide alternative dispute resolution services. TAPM assists the courts and community organizations in providing programs and activities that educate the public and the legal profession about the benefits of mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.

TAPM presents the annual Grayfred Gray Public Service in Mediation Award to persons who make innovative and lasting public service contributions through alternative dispute resolution in Tennessee. The award is named after its first recipient, Grayfred Gray, Emeritus Professor, University of Tennessee College of Law, and founder of UT’s outstanding Mediation Clinic. Past recipients of the award also include Janice Holder, Marietta Shipley, Shelby R. Grubbs, Robert P. Murrian, Jocelyn Wurzburg, Larry Bridgesmith, Carol Berz, Jean Munroe, Anne Sides, Stephen Shields, Marnie Huff, Linda Seely and statewide Community Mediation Centers.

More about honoree and her public service:​

Jacqueline (Jackie) Kittrell. A graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, Kittrell is active in the Knoxville Bar Association and the Tennessee Bar Association, where she serves on the Executive Council of the Dispute Resolution Section, and on the Joint Subcommittee on Collaborative Divorce Law. She is active in the Supreme Court’s Access to Justice efforts, serving on the Pro Bono, Forms, and Pro Se Litigant Committees. Kittrell is a Past President of the Board of Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators (TAPM). She was trained as a Collaborative Family attorney in 2007, is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Practitioners, and a founding member the East Tennessee Collaborative Alliance. She spends much of her time training, supervising and mentoring volunteers, and is happy to answer any questions about how CMC might be useful to the community.

CMC, a 24 yr old nonprofit organization, receives approximately 800 mediation referrals each year from courts in the Knox County area, as well as from schools, churches, law enforcement, neighborhood groups, and social service agencies. Last year, CMC co-mediated over 700 disputes using 50 volunteer mediators.